Everything has it's Price
by SexiBitet
Summary: After being attacked in her home Cassandra is forced to travel with her brother Dave Batista who refuses to let her out of his site. But when she meets Jeff Hardy things take a turn for the worse, and nothing and no one is as they seem.
1. Chapter 1

Summary- After being attacked in her home Cassandra is forced to travel with her brother Dave Batista who refuses to let her out of his site. But when she meets Jeff Hardy things take a turn for the worse, and nothing and no one is as they seem.

Everything has a Price

Dave Batista paled visibly and his friends shared worried glances with each other, they had never seen their friend act in the way t hat he was, least of all when he was on the phone.

Dave finished the call with a mono tone thank you, and ran a shaky hand over his face, his steel blue eyes clouded with fear and pain. He took in a trembling breath and began to walk with hast over to his bed were he had thrown his bags earlier that day,

"Dave man what is it" One of his closet friends Hunter asked, his own eyes swimming with concern. He had never in all his time of knowing Dave seen him in such a state, so he was naturally concerned.

So when Dave turned his body to face him and Hunter looked to see tears and confusion swimming in them he knew something was wrong, something was seriously wrong.

"Its Cassandra, she's in the hospital, they say it's bad" Hunter's eyes widened for only a second before they became completely cool once more.

Cassandra was Dave's younger sister and meant the world to him, so for something to be wrong Hunter knew that Dave was in a world of pain and hurt and would stay that way until he saw his sister with his own two eyes and new she was going to be ok. Hunter nodded his head in understanding and clasped his friend on the back

"Ill drive"

Dave pushed the doors to the hospital open and strode through, there was so many things running through his head so many things that he couldn't process, but one thing rang out loud and clear his baby sister, the one person he vowed to protect was now lying on an operating table and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. Hell he didn't even no if she was alive or not.

Hunter caught up with his friend and fell into step at the side of him, he knew that right now more then anything Dave needed his friends but that wasn't why he was here. Hunter knew Dave knew that he would take everything onto his shoulders like he always did, would ware himself into the floor. Hunter was here for one thing and one thing only and that was to take the reins when he knew Dave couldn't.

He came to a stop at the side of Dave who was stood in front of the receptionist trying to catch her attention while she was obviously flirting on the phone. He shook his head tiredly, he knew this was going to blow up soon and Hunter really didn't envy the poor women behind the desk.

"Excuse me" Dave voiced a little louder this time his fingers clicking in attempt to catch the blonde attention, but it didn't seem to do anything but annoy her. She looked up from the computer and let out a little puff of air her hand raised in the air telling him to wait.

The women's head shot up and Hunter could almost see the light bulb go of on the top of her head, he rolled his eyes and waited for the oh my god speech he knew was coming. He placed a reassuring hand onto Dave's shoulder squeezing it slightly. He knew that his sister was in the hospital and if he was in the same position then he wouldn't want to have to listen to it but they really didn't want to draw attention to themselves, any more then they already had.

"We're here for Cassandra Batista" Hunter said stepping forward slightly. He could feel Dave's eyes on him and he smiled while nodding his head, Dave nodded sadly and waited with batted breath as the receptionist did her job.

The blonde's fingers typed franticly over the key board in front of her, her eyes flicking back and fourth as she read what was in front of her. She took in a breath before looking up at the two men in front of her, her eyes drifting behind her to see yet more wrestlers. She shook her head sadly and looked over at the tallest of the men, knowing who he was instantly and that the woman in surgery was his sister.

"Im sorry sir but she is still in surgery if you take a seat ill get the surgeon to come and see you as soon as he is done"

The blonde spoke with sympathy her eyes lightening up in silent apology for her earlier act of rudeness. She smiled over at the two men and watched as they turned as one to the other men and the only woman that was there. She shook her head sadly, she knew that the women in surgery was in bad condition and was very doubtful if she would come out alive, but it wasn't her job to judge.

Dave walked over to the other superstars that had accompanied him to the hospital, his eyes wondering over John Cena, Randy Orton, Jeff and Matt Hardy and Hunters wife Stephanie, before he gave a tired sigh and fell into the closet chair to him, his head falling into his hands.

He still couldn't get the phone call out of his mind or the feeling of dread that was sat in his stomach. He closed his eyes and leant against the cool wall as he tried to clear his mind. His sister was four years younger then him and had just completed university and was currently working at a youth centre for troubled teenagers, there was obviously more then one person who had a grudge with her.

"Dave Batista"

Dave cracked his eyes open and became instantly alert he had been expecting the surgeon to be stood in front of him ready to tell him the worse but instead stood in front of him was two fresh faced police man. They gave him a curt smile and flashed him their badges not that he needed to see them he could tell they were police men just by the way they stood, they demanded respect and it was something they were going to get if they caught the punk that dared hurt his little sister.

"Yes" Dave replied sitting up straighter in his seat, normally he would have stood up and tried to intimidate them but he just couldn't be bothered, he was going to show them as much respect as they wanted, as long as they caught the person responsible.

"Im detective Anderson this is Detective Dawson" Dave turned his eyes onto the blonde haired detective and gave a curt nod in his direction before turning his eyes once more to Detective Anderson who seemed the most experience.

"We would like to ask you a few questions" Dave nodded his head and followed his arms across his chest his eyes glowing slightly, he knew what was coming had watched enough police shows to know the type of questions they were going to ask and he knew for a fact nothing he could say would help them in their investigation.

"Did your sister have any enemies" Detective Dawson questioned and Dave sighed. Of course his sister had enemies she worked at a youth centre, she had on more then one occasion pissed of gang members, helped social services take children away from abusive parents.

"She worked at a youth center so yea she had a lot of enemies, it comes with the territory, she's a good kid" Dave finished his eyes shinning slightly as he stared at detective Dawson who Dave decided was the one he really didn't like.

Anderson sensed the tension between his partner and Dave so he placed a hand onto his partners shoulder and stepped forward slightly, silently telling Dawson he was taking the reins and not to argue. They needed the Batista's as cooperative as possible if they were going to be able to solve this case.

"Mr Batista your sister was very viciously attacked, a rage attack as we like to call them, the manner of the attack would point to an angry lover." Dave nodded his head, he didn't know anything about the attack on his sister other than the fact it was serious, life threatening.

"You want to know if she recently broke up with someone, well the answer is know, she spent all her free time with study she didn't want men messing with her focus, she had a boyfriend about three years ago but none since"

Dave replied ringing his hands slightly his eyes flicking over to Randy, Anderson nodded his head in understanding and quickly jotted a couple of notes down in the note pad before looking up once again.

"We're going to need the name of that boyfriend" Dawson pressed pushing forward slightly and Dave once again turned his head towards him.

"He's stood right behind you" Both Anderson and Dawson turned their head and Randy raised his hand sheepishly. Anderson nodded his head and turned back to Dave obviously pleased with the information. It was pretty obvious that Randy was out of the question for the attack as he was on live television at the time but they couldn't rule him out as a suspect.

"When was the last time you spoke to her"? Dave looked once again over to Anderson and ran a hand over the back of his neck and his heart began to pound.

"This afternoon right before raw aired" Dave sucked in a breath and could fee his heart pounding, what If he had kept her on the phone just a little longer, all the what ifs were working around his head and he wanted nothing more then to scream. What if the attacker was already in the house when he was on the phone, waiting for the perfect time to attack?

He shook his head and a door opening to the left of them caught his attention and his heart began to race once again, walking towards them was a doctor, a doctor that was in blue scrubs splattered with blood having just stepped out of surgery.

Dave pushed himself up onto shaky legs and walked over to meet him half way. He could feel sweet working its way down the top of his head and he took in a shaky breath he could already hear the doctor saying the words he dreaded hearing and he felt himself sway, if it wasn't for the gentle hand of Stephanie on his shoulder he knew he would have hit the floor.

"Mr Batista" Dave nodded his head and looked over the blue scrubs there was so much blood, his sisters blood. He could feel the bile rise in his throat and he fought to keep it down.

"Your sister……."


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr Batista" Dave nodded his head and looked over the blue scrubs there was so much blood, his sisters blood. He could feel the bile rise in his throat and he fought to keep it down.

"Your sister suffered serious lacerations and puncture wounds to her upper and lower torso. But the one we were most concerned about was the one to her chest, she was very lucky if it had been a couple of inches to the side we wouldn't have had a chance to save her" The doctor smiled kindly over at the man in front of him and could feel his pain, he had a sister of his own and could sympathises with the amount of pain he was feeling.

Dave sucked in a breath, he wanted so smile, to shout that his sister was ok, the doctor hadn't told him that she was dead, instead he had said they had managed to save her. What ever he was imagining that wasn't it. He had prepared himself for the worse, had rehearsed over and over in his head what he would do when the doctor told him the bad news, had practised how he was going to tell his parents that their baby girl was dead.

"She suffered major blood lose and it was touch and go for a while but we managed to get her into a stable enough condition, but you have to understand as soon as her body is strong enough she is going to have to go into surgery to repair some of the damage we couldn't risk doing"

Dave nodded his head, he really wasn't taking in what the doctor was saying, it was like he brain wasn't allowing him to take in any other information other then the fact his sister was still alive, who ever had tried to kill her hadn't succeeded and was going to have an awful lot of pain coming his was, if the police didn't get their hands on him first.

"When can I see her?" Dave questioned his voice coming out in nothing more then a shaky whisper, one thing had penetrated his sister had died on the operating table, she had died and he hadn't been there. Right now he wanted nothing more then to see her and know she was going to be ok.

"She is being moved to the ICU as we speak, If you and your friends make your way down she should be ready. But im afraid it will only be one person at a time, just while she's in the condition as she is. If anything does go wrong it will be easier for the nurses to take care of her"

Dave nodded his head and shot the doctor a concerned look, his eyes flashing with worry he shot Hunter a look before turning to the doctor once more.

"I don't understand I thought you said she was ok" Dave questioned his voice less shaky this time but more confused; The doctor smiled sadly and folded his arms across his chest.

"You must understand Mr Batista your sister was in serious condition, we may have gotten her into a stable position but she isn't out of the woods yet" The doctor finished softly, he always hated giving families bad news. He was surprised that she had survived the surgery, he didn't want to give any of them false hope.

"What are you saying?" Randy questioned stepping forward slightly, his relationship may have ended with Cassandra but that didn't mean he still didn't care for her. He shot the doctor a worried glance and sucked in a breath his eyes momentarily wondering over to Dave's.

"You should prepare for the worse" Randy nodded his head slowly and opened his mouth slightly. He wanted to say something anything to make what happened ok again. But he knew he couldn't, every one was feeling the significance of the words the doctor had just spoken, but none of them were feeling it as much as Dave was.

Dave's posture fell and his body threatened to crumple under the weight of the news, he had been prepared for the worse but when it didn't come he had allowed him self to hope a brief moment of weakness, and now that hope had just been ripped from under him and he felt like he was plummeting into the great bottomless pit that he couldn't escape.

He nodded his head at the doctor not really seeing him, he wanted to get to his sister wanted to hold her hand and let her know he was there, wanted to apologise for all the things that had gone wrong in their lives. Wanted her to know that he couldn't live without her, let her know that she couldn't leave him.

"Thank you" Dave turned his head towards Hunter who was smiling with a sad kindness at the doctor who had just spent the less couple of hours working to save his sisters life. He felt his hand firm yet soft on his shoulder and he nodded his head sadly.

"Lets go let her know she isn't alone" Hunter whispered softly to his friend. His own heart beating in his chest. Cassandra was like a sister to him, she had travelled with them for a while when her and Randy had been dating and she had been the sweetest kid he knew, always polite but with a mean streak that really meant you didn't want to mess with her.

He watched as Dave nodded his head and he smiled sadly to his wife Stephanie over his shoulder, before apply the slightest bit of pressure onto Dave's shoulder letting him know he wasn't going any where, that he would be there for him no matter what happened.

Dave always hated the smell of the hospitals they always smelt clean, even when there wasn't a single cleaning apparatus around their was always the smell of bleach in the air. But the ICU was different, his sister was here, alone in a place that smelt of death. It hung in the air like a thick cloud you couldn't get through, it clogged up his sense.

Ever since his mum had died in ICU eight years ago after being in a car crash he hated hospitals, he associated them with death, and he knew his sister felt the same. He had to be with her let her know she wasn't in this awful place by herself.

"She's tough she's going to be fine" Dave heard John Cena say and he turned his head slightly to catch Randy leaning against the wall his head thrown back his face pale. He sighed softly, he was being selfish every one here apart from Jeff had known her, had loved her. And he hadn't even shown a single amount of compassion for what they were feeling.

Hunter followed Dave's gaze and saw the look that swept over his face and rolled his eyes Dave was the only person he knew who would feel guilty about other people in a time like this, the only person who would think he was doing something wrong. He laid a reassuring hand onto his shoulders and shook their head.

"they understand" he said smiling sadly and Dave only jerked his head in response, his eyes once again turning onto Randy and John before he took in a deep breath and turned his attention onto the reception.

He contemplate turning around and leaving allowing Hunter and the rest of them to stay and sit with his sister, but that did nothing more then make him angry, how could he even possibly think of leaving his sister in a place she hated. When she woke up she was going to be in pain and afraid. She hated these places as much as he did. So what if he was afraid he was just going to have to get over it, his sister needed him, what would he do if he left and she died alone with no one but a stranger for company.

"You must be Mr Batista" Dave lowered his head to the small brunette women that was stood in front of him before nodding his head. It was like he wasn't even in his body everything was like a film and he was watching it from somewhere else.

"Your sister is just through there" The nurse said pointing her finger into the direction of the door directly in front of reception. He took in a sharp in take of breath and let it out, for her to be in that room then it was bad, worse then he could ever imagined.

"Can I see her?" The nurse smiled kindly and laid a gentle hand onto his arm, she tilted her head slightly and looked over at the other people that were there. She smiled once again and turned her head towards the brother, the one person who was affected the most.

"Of course" She replied squeezing his arm slightly.

"If you would just follow me" She said and with one final look in the direction of Randy and John she turned and headed to the direction of Cassandra's room.

Dave looked over at Hunter pleading with him to make everything go away, to turn around and tell him this was nothing more then a dream and that he was going to wake up any second now and his sister was safe in her home.

He stopped behind the nurse who had one hand on the door, her eyes looking up at him with sympathy she laid a gentle hand onto his arm once again and looked up into his eyes.

"I have to worn you that she is hooked up to a lot of machines and wires, they are there to help her" Dave nodded his head and looked at the door trying to envision what his sister would look. Would she be pale, would she look like she did the last time she saw him. But most of all he wanted to know what that monster had done to her.

"Mr Batista" Dave looked down and smiled. The nurse nodded his head and with an intake of breath opened the door.

Dave closed his eyes and allowed himself to take in a couple of breaths, calming down his breathing, before he went in and saw her. He opened his eyes and nodded his eyes working to the now open door way.

He took in one final breath and with one final pained glance at his friends, his family, he entered the doorway and into another world, a world he only ever imagined in his worse nightmares.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews that I have gotten so far hope you all continue to enjoy this story.

Everything has its Price

Dave stepped through the door and heard it click softly behind him, the nurse must have shut it, he mused to himself, trying to buy himself some time before he had to look at his sister. He didn't want to have to look at her, didn't want to face what that monster had done to her. He didn't want her here period.

He took in one deep breath and let it out slowly before turning his eyes onto his sisters pale form. He shook his head sadly, one side of her face was swollen, her eyes almost back, who ever had hit hurt did it with some force, it would have taken her down to the floor with just one hit. But he hadn't stopped there he had kept hitting her when she couldn't defend herself, and then at some point he had reached for the knife, who ever had attacked his baby sister didn't want her to live to tell the tale, that much was for certain.

He shook his head sadly and within two long strides he was at her bed side his large frame folding into the chair at the side of her bed, his own large hand reaching out and engulfed her small frail one.

In all his time of being her brother he had never seen her look so frail, so fragile. One thing Cassandra wasn't was frail or fragile hell she would kick his ass for even thinking it.

The slow constant beep of her heart monitor let him know she was still alive, that somewhere beneath all those bruise and bandages and wires was his sister. He shook his head and took in a shuddering breath his head falling into her hand.

After their mother had died she had become his responsibility their father was god knows where doing god knows what and Cassandra had needed a shoulder to cry on, she had been the closet to their mother and her death had affected her the most. But one thing their mother's death had brought them was a bond that was never going to be broken. They had a deeper understanding for each other then they ever had in the past.

"Come on baby sis you need to open those eyes, you need to fight this, im right here" He whispered in to her hand placing a small kiss to her knuckles. He raised his head and stared down at his sisters face, a face that was once so pretty was now virtually un recognizable, her nose had been broken as well as her jaw line and cheek bone.

"What did they do to you?" He questioned his voice holding an underlining of venom as his eyes swept over her pale body. He shook his head and pushed himself away from her bed.

He couldn't be here not right now he needed air and space needed to think things through, he never was good with feelings and such, but when it came to his sister he just couldn't bear it, he couldn't look at her broken form and know that he had failed.

He had vowed to protect her, vowed to keep her safe from the horrors of the world like any big brother was meant to. But he had failed the one job he couldn't afford to fail on and he had. And because of his failure his sister had paid the price.

He hastily ran a hand over his face wiping away the tears that had leaked from his eyes. He sniffed and looked over at his sister and shook his head in anger. Who ever had done this to her was going to pay.

Hunter looked up from the magazine in his hand and watched as Dave exited his sister's room. He shook his head and waited for him to head down the corridor before he leant over to Randy and asked him to go sit with her, while he went after Dave.

Hunter didn't wait for a reply from Orton, he knew in his heart that Randy would be the better man and suck up his fear of seeing her because he knew Randy wouldn't want her to be alone.

He jumped up from the chair he had been sitting in and headed after Dave, he managed to catch up with him before the elevators doors had closed.

"I need air" Dave bit out looking down at his friend, who simply shrugged his shoulders in a no-nonsense way. He nodded his head in understanding, if any one could understand what he was going through or why he was doing what he was doing was Hunter.

"Me to" Hunter replied and jabbed a finger hard on the down button.

"I don't even recognise her" Dave mumbled and Hunter caught himself before he turned his head. He just nodded and continued looking at the doors in front of him, one thing he had learned early on in their friendship was that Dave did not open up and when he did he did it when he wasn't being looked at, when he felt he didn't have to explain or justify himself to any one.

"Her face was so badly bruised……they took her down with the first hit, why didn't they just leave her, god"

Hunter had heard the sob in his friend's voice had heard the way his throat had constricted, could almost feel the pain washing of him. He took in a breath trying to think of the best way to deal with the situation, he could either risk getting Dave to shut down or he could do nothing and hope Dave brought himself around.

"It wasn't your fault" Hunter finally spoke. He knew it was the wrong thing to say knew that Dave was likely to yell or throw a punch. But he also knew he couldn't leave him blaming himself especially when there was nothing he could have done to stop it.

"I was meant to be home that night, I should have been there" Hunter turned to look at him and shook his head his eyes staring hard at him, telling him to shut the hell up and listen.

"Listen and listen good there was nothing you could have done to stop this attack, so you could have been home that night, you could have stopped it. But those guys meant business that didn't mean for her to survive that much is clear, who ever they are, they would have just come back, they would have waited until you was back on the road. This was not your fault you couldn't have stopped this Dave"

Dave dropped his head and fell back against the wall of the elevator and nodded his head slowly. He knew that what Hunter was saying was the truth, he knew deep down that there was nothing he could have done, that no matter what if the people who had attacked her wanted her gone, no one not even him would have been able to stop them.

"I could have lost her" Dave finally lifted his gaze and his troubled blue eyes met Hunters. A tear escaped the corner of is eyes and Hunter felt his heart lurch and his friends pain.

"But you didn't, she's still alive and she needs you to be strong" Dave nodded his head and Hunter rolled his eyes before pulling him into a comforting male hug. And for the briefest second Dave allowed the emotion to wash over him, because he knew the next god knows how long was going to be devoted at keeping himself strong for his sister.

The door to the hospital room opened with a faint squeak before shutting with a soft click. Randy Orton let out a tired sigh and headed over to the bed his eyes fixed onto the women that was lying there, one women who he had never seen look so out of place as she did in that second. He skin was deathly pale compared to the pinkness of the quilt she was lying in. Her once lively brunette hair was now limp and fanned out over the pillow.

Her face was nothing more then a bloody pulp and the only thing that let him know she was alive was the steady beat of the heart monitor. The tube that was stuck down her throat made him uncomfortable as did the needled stuck in her arm that was connected to the bag of morphine and fluids.

He eyed the heart monitor expecting any minuet for it to become erratic before heading to a flat line and when it didn't he let out a tense breath and seated himself at the side of her his hand instantly reaching out for hers.

"You know when Dave finds out im going to be the one lying in this bed" Randy joked with a faint smile his eyes flicking up to her face. When he had first met her it had been her face and incredible beauty that had drawn him in, but it had been her wit, sense of humour and personality alone with her brain that had ultimately won his heart.

"You need to open those eyes of yours Cass" Randy murmured into her hand his thumb working circles on the palm of her hand just like he knew she liked it. When ever she was angry or up set he always took her hand into his and allowed his thumb to work circles into her palm it always calmed her down and he hoped it would let her know he was here.

"There is no way im facing your bother alone, so you need to open those eyes ok, so we can tell him together"

He dropped his head onto the bed and closed his eyes, he had met her three years ago and it had been love, he had never told her but, but he always believed she knew. But Dave had never really approved and they had broken things of, well Dave believed they had broken things of but the truth was they hadn't, they had been sneaking around for the last two years and it was tearing him apart, he wanted nothing more then to shout it from the roof tops that he was in love with her. But until Dave knew that was never going to happen.

"I love You Cassandra Batisata"


End file.
